What to Cook Now: Broccoli

Recipes and tips for the season's best ingredients

I t may be nutrient-packed, but broccoli is much more than mere health food. Steamed, blanched, sautéed, or even braised, this verdant vegetable, along with its distant relatives broccoli rabe and Chinese broccoli, makes healthful eating seem as alluring as gorging on bacon.

recipe tips:

Use Your Eyes and Your Nose

When shopping for broccoli, avoid heads that emit any odor and those whose florets have begun to sprout yellow flowers.

Store Properly

To store, put broccoli in the refrigerator stalk-end down in a large glass of water, and cover it loosely with plastic wrap.

Save the Stems

Don't throw out those delicious broccoli stems. Slice them into small pieces, and start to cook them about two minutes before you do the florets.